


G H O S T

by decotex



Category: Original Work, Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Bad Puns, Multi, Murder, Sarcasm, we've got it all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-08-31 23:10:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8597440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/decotex/pseuds/decotex
Summary: A long long time ago, in a galaxy far away, there was a free spirit named Androssi who moonlighted as a space pirate cartel boss.  
Feat. murder, violence, drugs, blood, sarcasm, and bad life choices.





	1. P R O L O G U E

**Author's Note:**

> This is a spin-off of my Star Wars story [A Light To Burn All the Empires.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5982691/chapters/13748455) It's not necessary to read that to understand this. All characters are original, most are at least partially depraved, and some are dead-terrible people. Have fun.

 

A long, long, time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, First Order General Hux hired an eccentric campaign manager named Androssi Ghost, who then introduced him to hard drugs.

But before that, there was a ship called the Celestine, and there was a cartel called Pegasus, and there was a space pirate cartel boss named Androssi.

This is not his backstory.

It’s more of a _horror story_.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

The man ground a pipe into the corpse’s face until it was, much like the rest of the room, a mess of blood and flesh and broken bones.

“That was unnecessary.”

Two hooded figures had just entered through the bullet-riddled remnants of the front door. One of them was slim and wearing ankle boots. The other one was bulky in the way that suggested they could beat you into a pulp using either their fists or one of the many weapons strapped to their person.

The taller one pulled back her hood. She was freckly and had blue hair.

“Come on, Idra,” she said. “You’re offending Androssi’s _delicate constitution_.”

Idra shoved the pipe into the wall, through the remains of the face, and walked towards them.“Were you followed?” he asked, gruffly.

The girl pouted. “I refuse to dignify that with a response.”

“Guns out. We’re not clear.”

“Oh, good,” said Androssi, nastily. “If there’s one thing I love more than being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night to go planetside, it’s being shot in the fucking face.”

“Stop complaining,” said Idra, before turning to the girl. “Sparks, there’s one more upstairs. Barricaded himself in the office. Can you take care of him?”

“Depends. Is this a favor or a job?”

“Just do it.”

“Fine. I’ll add it to your tab. Do you need him alive?”

“For a while.”

“Got it. Come on, Androssi.”

Androssi crossed his arms. “Unsurprisingly, I think I’ll wait here.”

“It’s not safe down here alone,” said Idra. “You’re coming with us.”

“Oh, good. _Good_ .” 

Sparks put her arms around his shoulders. “Relax, Androssi. Idra and I will keep you safe. You can hold a gun if it’ll make you feel better. Idra, give him a gun. A big one. But not too big. He has weak little arms.”

“Shut the fuck up, Sparks.”

\---

Sparks went up the stairs first, followed by Idra and Androssi. She didn’t walk like there was an armed man upstairs- she walked more like she’d forgotten her keys or was headed to her bedroom to change her shoes.

Nobody hired Sparks for her subtlety.

“Come on out, motherfucker!” she yelled.

Immediately, a barrage of bullets was fired down the hallway. Sparks dodged backwards into the stairwell.

“ _So_ glad I came,” mumbled Androssi, mostly to himself but also the the world in general.

Sparks swiped upwards on a metal device on her left arm. A plasma shield activated, glowing teal. She held it in front of her face and walked down the hallway.

Bullets bounced off the shield, pinging the plasma like raindrops on water.

There was a crashing noise and a lot of gunshots, and then some screaming, and then a sort of choked, strangled noise.

“Come on,” said Idra, pulling Androssi by the arm.

“My pleasure.”

The door to the office was hanging open, its various locks blasted into a million pieces. In the center of the room, Sparks knelt on top of a purple-skinned man with antenna. Her hand was on his throat.

“(^(~~3~839!!!??!!” he said.

“Me either,” said Androssi.

Idra walked up to the man on the floor and kicked him.

“I don’t want any trouble!” said the man, slightly choked by Sparks’ hand around his throat. “The closet. It’s in the closet.”

The door to the closet was unlocked. Inside, pilled up to the ceiling, were bags of silvery powder.

“Androssi,” said Idra.

Rolling his eyes, Androssi stepped delicately around the man on the floor to the closet and knelt down. He examined the label on one of the bags, and then brought it up to his face and bit it open. Silver spilled onto his lap and pooled around him onto the floor.

He ran his hand through the powder, and then stood up and brushed himself off.

“Our label. Not our product. This is toxic. It would kill a human. Same as the others.”

“Fuck!” said Idra. He kicked the man again. “Fuck! Who’s doing this?”

“You could ask him,” suggested Sparks, who was examining her nails with the hand that was not around the man’s throat.

Idra pulled out a gun and motioned for Sparks to get up.

“Where did you get this?” he asked. “Tell us and we’ll let you go.”

“The Massechany Collective!” the purple man gasped. “Bought it wholesale! No idea it was fake! No idea who their suppliers were! All I know, I swear!”

Androssi looked away as Idra unloaded his clip into the man’s stomach.

\---

“Are you going to the fashion show on Galactor Prime?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. It’s something to do, I guess. Why, did you want to?”

“Not unless you do. I’m bored. This whole fake business has been such a drag.”

“It would be an okay party, I suppose. But it also involves going planetside, which-”

“Which you hate doing. I swear, Androssi, you’d spend your entire life in this room, doing exactly this, if you could.”

Sparks and Androssi were lying naked on a large, circular bed, piled high with comforters and cushions. Androssi was holding a pipe. The lights were dim but warm. On a nearby table, something herbal was burning.

Androssi shrugged. “You’re not wrong.”

Sparks closed her eyes and rolled onto her side.

“Max asked me to marry him,” she said, after a moment.

“Are you going to?”

“Yeah. I think I am.”

“Are you going to tell him your real name once you’re married?”

“I guess I’ll have to. He wants to get a place on Aerodime. Like, a house and everything.”

“And you told him he’s insane? That you’re a free spirit?”

“I don’t know, Androssi. Might be a nice change of pace. I’ve been thinking about it. Imagine, living in a house. One place.”

“I guess.”

“You could come with us, if you want.”

“Why? So I could do your taxes?”

“Because I’d miss you, you asshole.”

“Hmm.”

There was a pause.

“Do you think you’ll ever have kids?” Sparks asked. 

“This had better be a hypothetical.”

“It is.”

“No. I don’t see the attraction.”

“What do you think, Androssi? Me, Max, and a bunch of blue-haired little freaks running around on a moon somewhere?”

“Sounds boring. But, you know.” He poked her cheek. “You do you.”

The air was thick and hazy with smoke. Sparks looked at him and frowned.

“I think Idra’s in love with you.”

“Sparks, baby,” said Androssi, taking a hit and closing his eyes. “Everyone’s in love with me.”

\---

The five bosses of the Pegasus cartel met in the circle room in the evening.

Four of them did, anyway.

“Where’s Androssi?” Getham asked. “I wanna get back to the bridge.”

“Lord knows,” said Idra tiredly.

“Androssi’s a free spirit, man,” said Sparks, who was sitting with her boots on the table. “He comes and goes with the cosmic wind.”

“You would know,” said Getham, nastily.

“Would I ever.”

Cor’chazyl, who was Head of Security, mute, a lizard-woman, and nicknamed Coco, banged on the table.

“I’m with Coco,” said Getham. “Let’s start without him.”

“No,” said Idra. “We need his numbers. We’ll wait.”

“Speak of the devil.”

Androssi breezed in, barefoot and wearing a long silk robe that trailed behind him.

“Alright, alright,” he said, sitting at the fifth and final chair at the table. “I’m here. Go ahead.”

“Have you no respect for other people’s time?” asked Getham.

“You were waiting like five minutes, Getham. Your copilot is marginally competent- the ship will survive without you.”

“ _The issue-_ ” began Idra, in a voice that commanded attention. “-at hand needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.”

“I didn’t walk all the way here for that attitude, Idra.”

Idra ignored him and continued.

“The incident at Colony IV is the third in a series of connected fakes. I don’t know the scale of this problem. I don’t know who’s doing it. I don’t know _how-_ ” Idra paused to take a deep breath. “People are dying.”

Cor’chazyl banged on the table.

“Because it’s _bad for business_ ,” said Androssi. “No one’s going to deal with us if they think our products kill people. People _trust_ us- as much as you can trust a drug cartel, I suppose. We’re the biggest name in the business.”

Idra nodded. “It’s bad. It’s so bad. Right now the incidents are all contained in one sector. We’ll be staying in this sector as long as it takes to figure this out.”

“We have orders,” said Getham.

“They’re cancelled. Or delayed. Whatever. Send them a full refund plus my personal apologies. Or send another ship to- I don’t _care_ , Getham. Make it work.”

“And the Borealis deal?” asked Sparks.

Idra glared at her. “I don’t- this could not have come at a worse time. I’m supposed to meet with them tomorrow but I _cannot-_ I’m going to personally investigate the fakes situation. Androssi, you’ll finish cutting the Borealis deal.”

Androssi groaned. “Can’t anyone _else-”_

“No!” yelled Idra. He took another deep breath. “Please, Androssi. _Please_ just get this done. I am so- I have so much going on right now . . .”

“Fine.”

Cor’chazyl grunted.

“I _will_ , Coco. I _know_.”

She grunted again.

“Yes, _and_ I’ll be on time. I swear. You sound like my mother.”

“Sparks,” Idra cut in. “ I need you here, overseeing the logistics of the Borealis transfer.”

“Sure you don’t want me coming with you on the big investigation?”

“No. We need as many Pegasus people as possible on ship to counter the Borealis presence. They’ll be coming on board for the transfer.”

“Technically, I’m still a private contractor.”

“Shut up, Sparks.”

\---

There’s a medium-sized ship that permanently orbits planet Tantar. It used to be a pirate ship, but it’s been converted into a sort of neutral ground for business deals.

Two convoys arrived at this ship around the same time and met in conference room zeta.

“I only deal with Idra,” is the first thing the woman said when Androssi walked in, flanked by armed guards.

“Well, today you’re dealing with me. Androssi- a pleasure.”

She glared at him. She was old, her grey hair up in a complicated design hung with beads and ribbons. “Sable Dusk. Pegasus trash is Pegasus trash, I guess."

“Thank you,” said Androssi, sitting across from her and setting a datapad on the table. “Now if we could go ahead and finalize the Pegasus takeover of Borealis.”

“You have the authority to finish this deal, boy?”

“I do. From Idra himself.”

“From the mouth of the devil himself, then.”

“Look, Borealis is- was- a cartel too. Neither of us have the moral high ground here.”

“Just give us the Pegasus terms. You know what we have, you know we’re at your mercy. Do what you will.”

“Gladly. To begin-”

“But send your men out. I will deal with you, but not with your paid guns.”

Androssi shrugged and nodded at the guards, who left the room.

“Anyway. Let’s begin.”

\---

Outside the room, Merkle and Flavio, Pegasus guards, waited with their guns drawn.

“She seemed pissed,” said Flavio.

“Of course she was pissed. She’s losing everything. She’ll be lucky if Pegasus leaves her with one ship.”

“It is her fault, I guess. Borealis couldn’t deliver. She knew the terms of the deal.”

“Yeah, but still. Nobody fuck with Pegasus.”

“True. Nobody fuck with Pegasus.”

\---

Sable Dusk signed the contract in a way that suggested very angrily that she would rather not.

“Perfect. Now if you could just transfer the funds and assets over to our name by next week, we can both be through with this.”

“You monsters.”

Androssi held up his hand, palm inwards, displaying the jeweled gold rings on his fingers. “Whatever pays the bills, baby.”

“Idiot boy. Your taste for luxury is going to get you killed. How embarrassing, to die by the hand of your own hedonism.”

“I appreciate the advice. _Thank you_ for your cooperation.”

\---

Androssi was lying in bed, half-conscious and full-naked, when Idra let himself in.

“You’re back,” said Androssi, dreamily, blinking very slowly. “Fantastic.”

“What’s this?” Idra asked, picking up something small and covered in white jewels.

“Diamond-studded thong.”

Idra let it drop to the ground. “Your spending’s gotten exorbitant lately.”

“That’s really none of your business.”

“You should be smarter about it. You’re our goddamn treasurer.”

Androssi rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, Idra. It’s my money. What’s the point of having it if you don’t use it?”

He laid down backwards, head hanging off the bed, and held the pipe in his hand out to Idra.

_“Indulge.”_

Idra stared at him for a moment, and then lowered his gaze and smiled.

“You know I can’t.”

Androssi rescinded the offer with a sigh. “What kind of drug kingpin doesn’t sample his own product? You’re so boring, Idra.”

“I know.”

Idra sat on the far end of the bed, sort of tentatively.

“Nothing,” he said. “I found nothing on the fakes. The investigation is an absolute wreck.”

“Shame.”

“How did the Borealis deal go?”

“Fine. Do you ever not talk about work?”

“What else would I talk about? Pegasus is my life. I’m Idra Pegasus.”

“Well, fucking Idra Pegasus, even boring drug cartel bosses need a break. Do some yoga or something. You’re letting this get to you. Don’t, baby.”

Idra stared at his feet. “I wish I had your temperament. I don’t suppose _you’re_ interested in running this cartel?”

“I can’t.”

“You can. When you’re not being a complete idiot, you’re one of our greatest assets. We need you, Androssi.”

“Right, but Idra- Pegasus’s in your blood. It’s not in mine.”

“It is,” said Idra. “Androssi, it is.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Now, when can we expect your assets to be physically transferred to us?”

“Go fuck yourself.”

Negotiations were going well. 

Androssi sighed, like he couldn’t even summon the effort to make the obvious joke. “I’m sure we both have places to be.”

Sable Dusk crossed her arms. “You’re taking over my organization. The best thing I have to do right now is be a thorn in your side.”

“You’re succeeding.”

“Good.”

Androssi slumped in his seat dramatically. 

They’d been in the room on the ship that orbits Tantar for about an hour, which was about forty-five minutes longer than he’d allotted for this meeting. 

“You’re wasting your life,” commented Sable, conversationally.

“I’ve about had it with your  _ attitude,  _ Sable. We’re in rival cartels. Or we  _ were _ , until yours went under. We’re both trash. The difference is that I won the trash war.”

“You know what the real difference is between us, boy?” asked Sable. 

“Enlighten me.”

“Sure- Borealis is going under. Pegasus wins. I know when I’ve been beaten. But after all this, after you dismantle Borealis down to its core, I’m going to survive. I have a life outside of Borealis. What are you without Pegasus? You’ve entrenched yourself so deeply in Pegasus that you’re never getting out.”

She grabbed his arms and pulled back the sleeves, angling his forearms at the light. “You’ve even stained your body. Look at this. This place will stay with you forever. You branded yourself, idiot.”

He pulled back, glaring. “Spare me your old-world views.”

“Old-world? I know Pegasus blood tattoos when I see them.”

“They’re Pegasus. They aren’t blood tattoos.”

“Really? I heard that Pegasus blood tattoos are made from the blood of the people you’ve killed. I’ve heard that even years later, traces of their DNA will still show up in your blood.”

“I’ve heard that I do adult videos. That doesn’t make it true.”   
  


\---

“Ticket, please.”

Androssi glared. “Don’t you know who I am?”   


The guard gave him a look. “No?”   


“Good,” said Androssi, nodding. “That would be weird.”

Passenger Barge 496, service from Tantar to Teflon, was your standard interplanetary skybus. There were places to sit, if you didn’t care much for your clothes, and a bar, if you didn’t care much for your liver. 

It was cheap, it was accessible, and Androssi hated it. 

“You may pass. Mister, uh,” said the guard, glancing down at the ticket. 

Androssi snatched it out of his hand and smiled. “Just Androssi, please.”

On his way to the bar, Androssi narrowly avoided being shoved into a wall by a group of large, drunk men. He didn’t manage to avoid stepping in something slimy and green, but he tried not to think about it. 

He navigated his way carefully and bitterly through the crowd until he spotted blue hair, which at this point in time was damp and sort of sweaty. 

“You fit right in,” said Androssi. 

Sparks turned around and smiled, wildly. Dark makeup was smudged across her face. “It was  _ fantastic. Insane _ . You missed out.”

“Undoubtedly,” said Androssi. “I’m sure the time I spent  _ butting heads _ with Borealis was equally as fun.” 

“Also, you don’t.”

“What?”   


“You don’t fit in here,” said Sparks. She was smiling, but the way she scanned the room over Androssi’s shoulder was less than friendly. “If I weren’t with you I’d rob you myself. But don’t worry. Anyone comes near you, I’ll kill them. Come on.”

Sparks led Androssi to the far corner of the bar counter, which was relatively empty. 

“Look,” said Androssi, as he allowed Sparks to pull him by the hand. “If you hadn’t asked, I would be on a private shuttle right now.”

“But instead you’re here, with me, on a public barge, and we’re having the time of our lives.”

“Are we?”

“Yes. Androssi, this is Johnny. Met him at the party.”

Johnny was tall, rugged, and purple, and had a long tentacle-like tail. 

“Hi,” said Androssi.

“Johnny, watch Androssi for a minute. I’ll get us some drinks.”

Sparks faded into the crowd. 

“Sparks told me about you,” said Johnny. “Don’t worry- all good things.”

“I’ve heard about Tantarians. Rumors, mostly. Don’t worry. All good things.” Androssi looked at him through lowered lashes. “Are they true?”

“Yes,” said Johnny, winking. 

“Oh lord.”

\---

The next morning, Idra passed a somewhat disheveled purple man on his way to Androssi’s room.

He sighed. 

Idra found Androssi combing his hair in a long, silky robe that pooled around his feet. 

“Who was that?”   
  
“Johnny,” said Androssi, humming to himself.

“You’re a security risk. What if he was an assassin? Does he have ties to Borealis?”

“No idea. You wanna know what he does have?”   


“ _ No." _

Idra looked around for somewhere to sit. There was the bed, which he rejected, and a lounge chair, which, after a moment of consideration, he also rejected. He settled for leaning against the wall, watching Androssi in the mirror.

“How’s Borealis going, by the way?”

“Boring. Painful. But it’s going.”

“I’m sorry I can’t help. This whole, this fakes investigation. It’s . . . troubling.”

“Any progress? No pressure. Just curious.”

“No. Nothing. Once Borealis is over, I want you on it with me. We need everyone. We need  _ something _ . We-” He stopped himself and took a deep breath. 

“You know what you need?” commented Androssi. 

“Drugs?”   
  
“A vacation. Let’s all go on a retreat. Somewhere warm. Torianos. Decim.”

“I’ve never taken a vacation in my life. Pegasus is my life.”

“That can’t be healthy.”

Idra was silent for a moment. 

“I want to call a meeting tonight,” he said, finally. “Everyone. About the fakes situation. Be there?”

“Sure.”   


“Relatively on time? So Getham doesn’t have an aneurysm?” 

“ . . . Sure.”

\---

Androssi ran into Sparks in the hallway of the Celestine. She was leaning against the wall outside of the circle room, looking contemplative. 

“You owe me,” she said. 

“I do. Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask; do you think I’m nothing without Pegasus?”

“No. You’re an exotic dancer and a model too.”

“Thanks.”

“Do you think  _ I’m  _ nothing without Pegasus?”

“No. You’re also a murderer, Sparks.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“And you have Max.”

“Yeah,” she said, a little ambiguously. “I have Max.”

“Something wrong?”   
  
“The whole ‘getting married’ thing is getting to me.”   
  
“You said yes?”   
  
“Well, I said- you know what, Androssi, it doesn’t matter.” She reached over and tightened the knot of his robe. “Never change, Androssi. Never change.”

\---

Androssi woke up to beeping from his datapad. 

“Shit,” he said, scrambling in his sheets. “Fuck.”

He stepped out of the bed, shedding layers of sheets and pillows. 

\---

The circle room was empty aside from Idra when Androssi got there. 

“Shit,” said Androssi. “Idra, I’m actually genuinely sorry.”

“It’s fine,” said Idra. “I cancelled the meeting. I sent everyone a message.”

Androssi rolled his eyes, less at Idra and more at the universe.

“Why?” he asked, a little bitter that he’d gotten out of bed for nothing.

“Sparks left.”

It was the way he said it more than what he said that made Androssi pause. 

“When’s she coming back?”

“She’s not.”

Androssi froze. “ . . . What?”

“She went off to marry that guy. Wouldn’t tell me where she was going. Didn’t want us to track her.”

“Oh.”

“She should have told you directly. I think she was afraid she wouldn’t have the courage.  To leave, I mean.”

“Hmm.”

The room was silent for a moment, but for the roar of the engine. Androssi, for the first time in a long while, was at a loss for words. 

“I . . .” Idra began. “I really thought she was going to stick around. You know? Even though she was technically an outside contractor, she was one of us. I thought so, anyway.”

“Yeah.”

Idra rested his cheek in his hand and looked up at Androssi, tiredly.

“Go back to bed. Don’t worry about the Borealis deal. Don’t worry about the fakes. Just . . . don’t worry about it.”

“Sure,” said Androssi. “Fine.”

\---

Some time later, Androssi visited Getham on the bridge. 

“Do you miss her?” asked Getham.

“My best friend in the universe? No.”

Getham elbowed him. “She’ll be back. You know she will be.”

“Sure.”

\---

Androssi, finding himself in a strange mood, ventured into the working parts of the ship to throw out his own trash. 

“Aye, Androssi,” said one of the workers. “You’re a rare sight down here.”

“For good reason.”

“Want me to get that for you?” the worker asked, gesturing at the bag Androssi held. 

“It’s fine.”

“Something wrong?”

“With me? Never.”

“How’s that Borealis deal going then? I hear we’re taking everything they have. Good on you.”

The worker looked over his shoulder. Androssi was standing very still.

“Androssi?”

“Sorry,” he said, turning around. “It’s been an odd week.” 

“That it has.”

Androssi left, quickly. A plan, a very desperate plan, was forming just as quickly in his mind. 

He knew what he’d seen. 

Stuck to the bottom of the incinerator door were a few strands of blue hair.

\---

“I’ve had a change of heart,” said Androssi, upon entering his third meeting with Sable Dusk.

“Nothing changes in a void.”

“Hilarious. I have a offer for you.”

“Oh?”

“I’ll transfer all the Borealis assets back to you, plus the Pegasus units that are in flux right now due to an external situation. They’re not under a license currently. I can give them to you.”

“And in exchange?”

Androssi’s hands were shaking.

“Get me out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> > : )


	4. Chapter 4

Sable Dusk stared. 

Androssi forced himself to hold her gaze. 

After a very, very long time, she spoke up.

“You’ll have to disappear. Completely.”

“I can do that.”

“You’re going to have to change your name. Leave all your possessions behind.”

“But I like my name,” said Androssi. “I like my possessions.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have gotten blood on them, idiot boy,” she snapped. She took a breath and seemed to regain some of her composure. “Regardless. If you’re serious-”

“I am.”

‘- _ If you’re serious _ , I can make it happen.”

“I thought you could.”

Sable Dusk smiled in a not-nice sort of way, like a teacher that very clearly hates you. “So how does Idra Pegasus’ golden boy turn traitorous? You’re going to lose everything, you know. You’re going to be nobody. You’re giving up your entire life.”

“You’re loving this.”

She shrugged. “You’re getting what you deserve.”

Androssi stared at his hands. “Maybe.”

\---

Planet Tantar doesn’t  _ have  _ a red light district so much as it  _ is  _ a red light district. 

There’s a warehouse in the northern hemisphere where people go to forget their problems and also their identities and sometimes also how to function. 

“You’re beautiful,” the man said to the human girl on the couch next to him. 

She smiled. “I know.”

The music blared, so loudly that the couch vibrated from the bass. People danced, illuminated by pulsing lights. 

The girl on the couch reached over and traced the man’s face, from the bottom of his chin to the horns that curled out of his forehead.

“Got anything tonight?” she asked. 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag, which sparkled silver. 

“Knock yourself out,” he said, handing it to her. 

He looked out over the warehouse floor. People were shouting. He didn’t think much of it. It was that kind of place. 

A nearby Tantarian in black leather shorts caught his eye and winked. 

“Um.”

He turned back to the girl. 

She was clutching her chest and staring sort of vacantly. 

“Are you okay?”

She looked him in the eye. Hers were blood red. 

She screamed. 

\---

“Androssi! 

Androssi flinched and turned around. 

Idra was walking very quickly towards him with an expression that made other people in the hallway get out of his way. 

“Yes?”   


“I need you to come to Tantar with me.”

Despite everything, Androssi rolled his eyes. “It’s almost midnight-”

“Someone died! After taking something that they supposedly bought from  _ us.  _ It had our label. She  _ melted.  _ From the inside out. People are cancelling their orders. The government might get involved. I’m going to fucking  _ kill them. _ ”

“Oh,” said Androssi, who had never been very good at reacting to bad news. 

Idra took a deep breath. “Coco,” he said, in a forcibly calm voice. “Will be accompanying us to Tantar. With Sparks gone, we need all the security we can-”

He paused and looked at Androssi very carefully, like he was just realizing something. 

Maybe a little suspiciously.

Androssi stared back, as blankly as he possibly could. 

“No,” said Idra, finally. “You stay here. It’s not safe. I was stupid to even suggest- you stay here and you don’t leave the ship alone. I’ll-” He gestured, a little tiredly. “I’ll figure something out. I’ll get someone else. Just stay here.” 

“Fine,” said Androssi, as Idra walked away. “Sure.”

\---

Androssi stood just inside the doorway and looked at his room. 

It was a mess. He wouldn’t bother denying it. But in its own way, it was sort of almost organized. The jewelry pile, scarf pile, and misc. pile were all relatively separated. 

It was the room of a collector. It belonged to someone who liked  _ getting  _ and  _ having  _ and who didn’t worry much about  _ using  _ or  _ needing.  _ Someone who had a room like this would get a vanity plate. 

It smelled fantastic. On the dresser were bowls of various herbs and dried flowers. Different colored sticks of incense burned on the nightstand.

Belatedly, Androssi realized that this place and these things were the closest thing to home he’d ever come. 

\---

Androssi found himself, once again, on the bridge. 

“How do you do it?” he asked Getham, who was doing her best to ignore him.

“You turn the wheel and the ship goes in that direction.”

“I don’t mean fly the ship. I mean, all of it. How are you . . . the way that you are?”

“How am I supposed to answer that, Androssi? What are you on?”

“Nothing. I was just wondering. You seem so in control. Of, of, your life.”

“You don’t know anything about my life,” she snapped.

“I know.”

They stared forward into the void of space beyond the glass. 

“Look. I miss her too.”

“No you don’t. You  _ hated  _ her.”

“I didn’t hate her. I thought she was stupid.”

“Oh, that’s  _ completely _ different.”

“In the same way I think you’re stupid.”

“Your bedside manner is terrible.”

“Maybe stupid is the wrong word. I think you’re . . . I think you’re wasting your potential, is all.”

“My potential?” asked Androssi, a bit incredulously.    
  
“You and Sparks. You could do  _ anything _ , but instead you choose- well, in Sparks’ case,  _ chose _ \- this. You choose nothing. You choose drugs and gold and parties.”

“You know,” said Androssi. “In a very backhanded way, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Probably.”

“But then, but you choose this too.”

“No, Androssi. To me, Pegasus is just a job. They pay me, I fly the ship. To you, it’s a lifestyle.”

“Do you really think it’s that bad of a lifestyle?”

“How would I know?” asked Getham. “I’m not the one living it.”

“Fair enough.”

\---

In the darkness, Androssi sat in front of a holographic screen. 

It was stupid, he knew. 

But he had to check. 

He cut his finger with a small, gold-embossed knife he’d picked up in Quadrant IV and let a drop of blood fall onto the scanner in front of him. 

_ “DNA sample identified. Androssi Michlare.” _

Androssi sighed in relief and leaned back in his chair. 

_ “DNA sample identified. Tam Lightfoot.” _

A picture of a short-haired woman and her identification information flashed on the screen. 

_ “DNA sample identified. Blithe Irons.” _

_ “DNA sample identified. Sampson Sa Bol.” _

_ “DNA sample identified. Oola Lu.” _

_ “DNA sample identified. Zera Arrow.” _

_ “DNA sample identified . . .” _

Images flashed on the screen and Androssi wasn’t even looking at them anymore. Instead, he was, sort of wide-eyed, staring at the tattoos on his arms. 

\---

Androssi arrived early to his final meeting with Sable Dusk. As per usual, he sent his guards outside. 

Sable looked him in the eye. 

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“You have the payment?”

Androssi rolled his eyes. “Yes.”

“Then let’s end this.”

\---

Merkle and Flavio stood outside the makeshift conference room, examining their guns. 

“If Borealis tries anything, Idra’s gonna kill them,” said Merkle.

“Even if Borealis  _ doesn’t  _ try anything, Idra’s gonna kill them.”

“That’s true. Borealis is fucked. Fuckers.”

“Fucking fuck-”

There was an explosion, a deep, resonating boom that rocked the ship. A siren went off. 

Flavio regained his balance and pulled open the door to the conference room. He could see nothing but fire and smoke inside. 

“Androssi!” he yelled. “Hey!”

Merkle pulled him back before the fire inside the room could envelop him.

“We’ve gotta go! We’ve gotta get back to the Celestine!” yelled Merkle, over the siren.

“Fuck.” Flavio looked into the fire for a moment longer, shielding his face from the heat. “Fucking Borealis.”

Together, they ran for their ship. 

\---

The ship exploded dramatically, like it was determined to die as theatrically as possible. The engine blew up in a shower of sparks that rained down and set the rest of the ship on fire. Slowly it began to fall out of orbit, downwards toward Tantar. 

Androssi watched this all through the window of the transport shuttle.

Far in the distance, beyond the exploding ship, the Celestine sparkled in the light. 

_ Goodbye,  _ Androssi thought, as the pristine Celestine faded from view.  _ Goodbye. _

He turned away from the window and found himself within two feet of Sable Dusk’s face. 

It was a small transport shuttle. 

Androssi wasn’t usually one for personal space, but right now he wished he had more room. He wished were in his own room. He wished- 

He wished for a lot of things. 

“Congratulations,” said Sable Dusk. “You’re dead. What are you going to do next?”

"I don't know," said Androssi softly. He sniffed and examined the rings on his fingers. "Something fantastic, probably."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We did it! Ghost's miniseries is FINISHED. I'll now go back to updating Light until THAT'S finished, which is gonna be super soon! We're coming full circle fam. We're doing it. 
> 
> Hopefully this miniseries gives some context to the events happening right now in Light!
> 
> Sorry for the slow update times! I'm doing my best. 
> 
> Flavio x Merkle OTP


End file.
